The Joy of the Lord

Nehemiah 8:10 is often a misapplied verse. The context is the end of a long day of confession and repentance by the Jews who had returned to Israel to help rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. It's after all the physical labor ... and the spiritual fine-tuning that Nehemiah utters these words: "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength" (NASB).

It's the last phrase that causes the confusion. People talk about the joy of the Lord as if it is something that they manufacture inside themselves. But, Nehemiah is referring here to the joy that the Lord has for us! This is where our strength comes from ... in knowing that our Lord delights in us.

The counterpart to this in the New Testament is the story of the Prodigal Sons (Yes, plural because in the story both sons had, in effect, run away). For the wayward younger son, the joy is seen as the father - who recognized him coming home from a long way off - comes and greets him with a very culturally-unconventional run and bear-hug. It's show to the disgruntled older son when the father "goes out and begs" this truculent heir to come and enjoy what the father is enjoying.

Joy is not artificially manufactured in the life of a Christian by subtle tones or music. It is a fruit that is produced by the Holy Spirit, especially as we contemplate our Father's joy and delight in us!

1 Samuel 20-21

Empty Nest

With both sons away at college (Stephen at Humboldt State University in Arcata; David at the University of the Pacific in Stockton ... although he's doing a semester overseas in Japan right now), Judy and I have begun to experience the "empty nest" syndrome.

I admit to teasing the boys that when they were out of the house how much better my life would be. And, yes, there are some things that have changed for the better. Bathrooms stay cleaner. There's not the wrangling over who is going to use the car when or who needs to use the computer RIGHT NOW! I can watch the television shows that I want to watch and actually eat all the peanut butter cookies.

It's the subtle things that are missed. It's the things that made David and Stephen who they are. The humor. The different interests. Even watching them come to grips with the greatest teacher in the world - reality - proved to be interesting.

I realize I'll be singing a different tune when they come home for the summer and want to have all the same independence that they had at school. There will be tussles about how to contribute to the family and so forth. It's all part of growing up.

Both them and us.

Time Keeps on Slipping, Slipping Away

I admit to being fascinated with time ... especially when I feel I don't have enough of it. As a student, time would seem to drag during the school week. On weekends, it would fly by at supersonic speeds. As an adult, I've had times of boredom where the hands of the clock seemed glued to a particular hour. And, like today, I'm wishing for 27 hours in the day.

Haddon Robbinson, Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, noted that there are some preachers who can preach for an hour and it seems like 20 minutes. Then, there are others who preach for 20 minutes and make it seem like hours!

I have to reluctantly agree with those who note that everyone has the same amount of time and it is how we use it that makes the difference. I don't like it ... but I agree. I can find a time or two - usually in the last 24-48 hours that I made choices that now effect my present use of time. I can kick myself or just get on with it.

1 Samuel 18-19

A Tender Privilege

Wow! It was hard to get my engine revving on Sunday. It might be thought that pastors wake up with boundless energy, jump into their preaching clothes, and head to glory (Okay, maybe there are pastors who do this). On the other hand, I ooze out of bed, crawl to the shower, slide into my clothes, dawdle to church, all the time praying that God would give me a shot of the something to produce some type of feeling.

So was my prayer yesterday when I was but yards from my house on the way to church. God chose not to answer my prayer - at least in the way I wanted Him to. It was through interacting with God's people both old and young. It was playing with the worship team. It was teaching my single high school student and college student. It was laughing with the ushers and greeters before church. It was getting up on the platform before friends both old and new.

There was no "sound as of a mighty rushing wind." There were no "tongues as of fire." There was just a growing sense of rightness as we moved through our worship celebration. There were the head nods, the laughter, the occasional comment voiced in a response. There was the enjoyment of opening up God's Word for His people - and making new discoveries for myself as I spoke.

Then, it came time for the benediction. I've gotten more thrilled with doing a benediction over the years. In the early years of ministry, it was Porky Pig doing the final words ... "TTThat's all, Folks!" I've grown to see how it can give a sense of blessing and wellness to people who are going to walk out and face all the things we just talked about. It's not a pep talk, because I'm not asking them to draw anything out from themselves. Instead, I'm asking our Father to provide for them what they need.

1 Samuel 16-17

Over-Coaching

They had me officiating the U-8's today. I must admit I get a real kick out of these little ones. They are often so confused about what to do in the game that, as a referee, I spend a lot of time pointing them in the right direction and explaining what their coaches didn't tell them.

Most coaches at the recreation level (it seems especially true the younger the players are) tend to over-coach. These little guys and gals are out on the field and they have three coaches yelling at them, along with a host of parents, all giving contradictory information. I know that some leagues have a "silence" rule, but I don't think that helps the coaches improve. The reality is that once the kids get out on the pitch ... they're going to do their own thing.

My other peeve is when coaches yell at players for things that they (the coaches) have not yet covered. There was an indirect free kick for the purple team and the green team's coach was screaming at them to "build a wall." These poor kids had no idea what they were supposed to do. Some of them looked like they were hunting for a contractor or at least bricks and mortar!

When I referee the U-Littles, I try to "teach" them something about the game as they are playing. Years ago, when my guys were little, I saw a referee beautifully handle a U-8 game while at the same time instructing parents, coaches, and players. That's a primary reason that motivated me to get into refereeing.

Growing Old

I have a new way of interpreting my age. You may have watched the TV show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader." I measure my fitness by whether I'm still faster than a 15-year-old.

My first experience with a competitive level tournament was a shock (remember, I didn't start officiating soccer until I was in my 50's). They assigned me as an AR (linesman) to a U-17 girls match. When the whistle blew, the ladies just took off on the attack. I found myself TRAILING the play. Fortunately, the ball went out-of-touch and I was able to catch up. The center referee gave me a look as if to say, "Are you going to be able to handle this?" I assured him I could, but I was hard pressed.

I'm finding more and more that I have to use my "smarts" more than my speed, especially as I officiate older youth soccer. It's a matter of anticipation and reading the play. There are still times when I have to chug down field. I do okay, but there's usually a price to be paid after the match is over!

I am also a witness to an older generation that is starting to pass. These fine men and women are now having to cope with advancing age. Bodies are failing. Minds are working more slowly. I realize that this is just the "way of all men;" but I can see the frustration. I've experienced the frustration as my mind says "Go" and my body says "No."

In Psalm 90:12, Moses penned "Teach us to number our days so that we might present to Thee a heart of wisdom." Scholars believe that Moses was in the twilight of his life when he wrote this psalm. Most of his companions from the Exodus were now gone. As he looks back over the history of his life, he reminds us that, indeed, our days are limited.

Carpe Diem! It's not just for speakers of ancient Latin. It's a rallying cry for all of us. "Seize the day!"

1 Samuel 13-15

A Strange Association

I thought of a strange association as I was working out this morning. As I hang around more experienced soccer referees, these men and women are constantly upgrading their officiating skills. They are reading the Laws of the Game, Advice to Referees, and all the memorandums put out by U.S. Soccer. It's the referees at the lower levels that seem to disdain this practice of "sharpening the saw." I've heard some of them brag how the only time they read the LOTG was to pass the initial referee exam! And ... it shows out on the field.

In a similar manner, as I hang around more experienced Christians, these men and women have an insatiable hunger to understand God and the Bible. They are constantly reading the Bible and exploring not only the best in scholarship, but also their own hearts. It's the immature that disdain this practice of "sharpening the saw." It has been noted that the average Christian only really recalls a couple dozen verses or passages from the Bible. No wonder this lack shows up in life.

1 Samuel 10:9-12:25

Big or Little

I must admit that I have not had much use for blogs. I occasionally read a friend's writings or the musings of some "deep" thinker. But, the average stuff I just ignore.

Yet, here I am grinding out my own thoughts in cyberspace. And, for what purpose? Is it the short version of the great American novel? Or, is it just the sense that our thoughts - no matter how focused or diffused - are important to us.

We want to be taken seriously by others. But, we must first take ourselves seriously on a certain level. I'm not referring to the grimness that comes over some who are overly-serious about every move they make. I refer to the importance - the nobility - of what we do in everyday life. We must not confuse simple with simplicity. What we do may seem simple and trite, but it may have far-reaching implications.

Every important person in my life is there not because they dumped some "great thoughts" into my head (although many did just that). They are there because they had the uncanny ability to be present in my life. Their presence and their memory has stuck with me.

And, I am never the same.

Stumbling at the Start

The first blog ... it's like a plunge into a cold swimming pool. The hesitation. The questioning. Then, you just dive in ... and hope you don't hit your head on the bottom. My eyes are quickly drawn to the other tabs on the template and I wonder if I "should" have started by reading the instructions (We're all much safer when I read the instructions).

Yet ... who's going to criticize? The professional bloggers? I think not. Each of us in some way have exposed our ignorance, prejudices, sins and such to the world through the written and spoken word. To come down too harshly is an invitation to get poked back.

So, relax (this is as much for me as it is for those who read) and enjoy. Learn. Question. Grow.